Vehicle heater



Jan; 18 1927.

J. A. SALL VEHICLE HEATER Filed Deo. 8, 192C",` 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 q w if:ummm-Wma Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

JOHN A. SALL, OFVROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE HEATER.

Application filed December 8, 1923. Serial No. 679,461.

This invention relates to heating apparatus for motor vehicles forheating the occupants compartment, and to a radiating heater whichutilizes as the heating medium the exhaust gases from the motor.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved heat-eradapted to bc set into an opening in the ioor of a motor car or thelike, and having a floor plate provided withl circulation openings, anda heat radiating element supported below the floor plate and adapted tobe supplied with exhaust gases by means of a suitable connection withthe exhaust line of the motor, so that heat from such gases ordinarilywasted, is utilized for heating the interior of the car by radiation. Ihave also aimed to provide improved means for admitting air to thcheater for improving the circulation of the radiated heat and forVentilating the inclosure being heated.

Another object is to provide a simplified heater of the characterdescribed, composed of but comparatively few parts, constructed andarranged in such novel manner as to enable production thereof at arelatively low cost'. In the vpresent embodiment, practically all of theparts are castings, and the only machining required is for drilling andtapping a few screw holes. Some of the part-s may however, be formed ofsheet metal stampings, as will be presently apparent.

I have further aimed to provide a heater constructed with the foregoingin view, which may be readily installed in the floor of practically anymotor vehicle. To facilitate installation, the inlet and outlet gasfittings may be quickly adjusted without disassembling, to suit theparticular location of the inlet and outlet connections on the car.

Other objects and attendant advantages will bc appreciated by thoseskilled in this art as the invention becomes better under stood byreference to the following description when considered in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view of aheater embodyingmy invention, with part of the top plate and heaterelement broken away to show th-e construction below;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the heater;

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged cross-sectional views taken substantially onthe lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, of Figs. 2 and l;

While the improvements disclosed herein are adapted for application in aheater einploying different heating mediums and used for heatinganyvinclosure, the present embodiment `is particularly designed to hemounted in the floor board of a motordriven vehicle. Inasmuch as thepresent invention relates to the heater per se, the intake and exhaustconnections other than the exterior fittings directly attached to theheater are not shown in the drawings, as it is obvious that they may beof any suitable or preferred construction.

The heating element is supported inV a housing or casing composedpreferably of a floor plate and a bottom housing designated generally by11 and 12, respectively. The floor plate preferably elongated andrectangular in form, has circulation openings 13 throughout its majorarea and has a marginal flange 14 about said openings adapted to overliethe fioor board 15 and to be secured thereto by screws passing throughopenings 16 at the corners. In the present embodiment, the' top platewhich is cast preferably of aluminum, has formed on the underside of itsmarginal portion 14, a recess or locating seat 17 for the reception ofthe top flange 18 on thehousing 12. As shown in Fig. 4, a heatinsulating packing 19, preferably of asbestos, is interposed between theflange 18 and the floor board 15. It will be observed that the undersideof the marginal portion 14 of the floor plate 11 does not reach to thebottom of t-he fiange 18, consequently the fastening screws or boltslocated in the holes 16 clamp the flange 18 between the floor plate andpacking 19 and to the fioor board, thus rigidly securing the housing 12in position. The housing 12 supports a heating ele1nent,'and has formedin its bottom 21 at opposite ends thereof, openings 22 and23 for theinlet and outlet of the exhaust gases which furnish the 'heating mediumfor said element.

The housing has also formed in its bottom intermediate said openings,one or more, two at present, ventilation or damper openings 24 and 25.lhile the housing 12 is shown in the form of a casting, this part may beof sheet metal of sufficient gage and shape to insure the necessarystrength and rigidity.

The heating element of the radiator type, designated generally by 26, ispreferably cast in one piece. It comprises two radiator pipes 27, theends of which are joined by heads 28 seated on the bottom of thehousing, each head having an opening 29 registering with the adjacentinlet or outlet opening as the case may be, in the housing. A packinggasket 31 interposed between the heater and bottom 21 provides aneffective seal and heat insulation between parts. The heater is rigidlysecured at each end to the bottom 21 by bolts 32, which are alsoutiliz/ed for connecting the inlet and outlet fittings to said bottom aswill be presently described. This one-piece heater gives a largeradiating area, and because of its construction may be produced at a lowcost. It will be observed that the heater pipes 27 span the damperopenings 25 lengthwise, and that these pipes are of comparatively largediameter and present a large radiating surface well adapted for heatinga comparatively large volume of fresh air taken in through the damperopenings, and are likewise adapted for radiating more intense heat whenthe damper openings are closed, as will be presently described. As shownin Fig. 3, each pipe 27 has cast on its upper side, intermediate itsends, a lug 33 which practically touches the floor plate and is adaptedto give support thereto when heavy M' to the housing, and upon weight isbrought to bear thereon.

The exterior fittings for the inlet and outlet openings being alike, adescription of one will suliice. Each comprises an elbow conduit 3a, oneend of which has an annular flange 35 adapted to be supported againstthe. underside of the housing bottoni 21 in registration with itsrespective inlet or outlet opening. A coupling collar 36 attached tosaid bottom by the above-mentioned bolts 32, holds the elbow inposition. This collar has a seat 37 for the reception of the elbowflange 35 and diametrically opposed openings 3S for the bolts 32. Apacking gasket 39 interposed between the bottom 21 and the coupling andelbow parts has an npturned annular flange l1 which covers the wall ofthe opening 22 and serves as an additional heat insulation between thehousing 12 andthe heating medium. Viewing F ig. 4, it will be observedthat the bolts 32 pass through both the coupling collar and the bottom21 and are threaded into the heater casting. Upon tightening these boltsthe heater and elbow will be fiXedly secured loosening the bolts theelbow will be freed so that it may be rotatably adjusted on the seat 37for the purpose of turning its depending end in any direction. Thissimple and easy adjustment of the elbow 3A without disassemblingl orremoving any of the parts permits of quick and easy installation of theheater, for the reason that the elbows may be t-urned to accommodate theinlet and outlet gas connections, and then be rigidly secured inposition by tightening the bolts. The packing gaskets 31 and 39 insure atight joint between the connected parts and serve to heat insulate thebottom 21 from the elbows and heater element.

One of the advantages of the foregoing construction is that it is notnecessary to machine any of the parts secured together by the boltsother than to drill and tap the bolt holes. This makes vfor economy incost of product-ion for the reason that the connected parts may all becastings with the exception of thehousing, which may if desired, be inthe form of a stamping.

The circulation or .damper openings 2-1 and 25 are adapted to be openedand closed bv doors or damper 4t2 and 43, respectively, each havinghinge plates i-l cast integral therewith. vThe hinge plates of bothdoors are concentrically mounted on pintles 15 intermediate the doors,so that the latter onen downwardly, one at the front and the other atthe back of the heater. Suitable springs 46 on the pintle urge the doorsto a closed position.

An individual damper control is provided for opening` and closing eachdamper door, and holdingit in any intermediate position. rlhe controlsfor the doors 24 and 25, operated by small hand levers 47 and '-25% ontop of the floor plale 1l, being identical, a description of one willapply to both. 'l`lie handle 117 is lined to the upper end of a shaft i9jonrnaled at 51 in the lloor plate, and at 52 in the housing. The shaltprojects below thc housing and is equipped on its lower end with a calncarrier 53 lixed to the shaft by a set screw 5-1, and willi acoinpression spring .55 which holds the hub o l' the hand lever 47 downon the floor plate, thus preventing vibration of the shaft and tendingto hold it in any adjusted position. The housing is recessed at 56 forthe reception of the spring, in order to locate the shaft as shown.',l'he cani carrier has an arcuate inclined cani portion DT located between a bearing surface 53 on the underside of the housingl and aprojecting lug 59 on the door 42, so that by turning the handle in aclockwise direction, viewing Fig. 1, the cam will open the door. A stopG1 on the cam carrier limits rotation thereof in a closing direction bycontact with the lug 59; and a depression 62 in the opposite end 'of l.ll)

i the cam is adapted to receive said lug and thereby hold the cam withthe door in the full-open position. It will be observed that in theforegoing construction, the single set screw 54 serves to hold t-heshaft 49, cam carrier, the floor plate and housing in oper-- ativerelation.

From the foregoing, that a greater or lesser be admitted through thedamper openings 24 25 by operation of the control levers 47-48, thus notonly providing for ventilation but also varying the degree of heatdelivered into the car. The damper doors are also intended to permit airto be exhausted from the interior of the car as well as supplied,thereto; and I have found that the particular function of the doors inthis regard varies in different cars. That is, whether the opening ofdoor 42 or 43 induces an inlet or exhaust current depends on thestructural makeup of the under body and adjacent parts of the car, whichobviously influence air currents beneath the car when it is in motion.Thus, with the construction herein disclosed, that is, with the frontand back damper doors, either an inlet or an exhaust current of air maybe induced, accord ing to the temperature or to the ventilationcondition desired.

F rom the foregoing, it will be observed that my improved heater iscomposed of comparatively few parts, and that these parts are soconstructed that they may be produced at a low cost. It should beunderstood, however, that changes may be made in details of constructionwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A car heater of the character described comprising aheater-supporting casing having two independently regulable damperdoors, one at the front opening forwardly and the other at the rearopening rearwardly.

u deit will be manifest in a car heater of the character' scribed, thecombination of a heate1supporting casing adapted to be set in the floor,a radiating heater in the casing, and a plurality of damper doors on thecasing, one opening forwardly and another opening rearwardly.

8. In a car heater' of the character described, the combination of aheater casing adapted to be set into and projecting below a iloor andhaving air circulation openings in its top and bottom, a radiating`heater in said casing, and a pair of damper doors on the bottom of thecasing, one opening downwardly toward the front of the car and the otheropening downwardly toward the back.

4. A heater of the character described comprising a heater casingcomposed of a amount of air may surface on the housing Hoor plate havingair circulation openings, a bottom housing having spaced inlet andoutlet openings and an interposed damper opening, a radiating heater insaid housing having inlet and outlet ends registering with said inletand outlet openings and a radiating portion spanning` said damperopening', exterior ttings for said inlet and outlet openings eachcomprising an elbow having an annular flange, a coupling collar having aretaining seat for said flange, and means for securing said collar tothe bottom of the housing' and permitting the collar to be loosened sothat its elbow may be turned on its seat. l

5. A heater of the character described comprising a heater casing havingcirculation openings through its top and spaced inlet and outletopenings and an interposed damper opening through its bottom, aradiating heater in the casing and an outlet end registering with saidinlet and outlet openings and a radiating portion over said damperopening, a damper door, a segmental cam adapted to be oscillated foropening and closing the door, and means operable from the top of thecasing for Yoscillating the cam.

G. In a heater of the character described, the combination of a floorplate having ventilation openings, a heater-supporting housingbeneaththe fioor plate and having a bottom air opening, a door for saidopening, a cam-carrier having an arcuate inclined cam for opening saiddoor, and a shaft to which said cam-carrier is fixed extending throughthe floor plate and equipped thereabove with a hand lever for operatingthe eam-carrier.

7. A heater as set forth in claim 6, in which the inclined cam portionis adapted to be moved between and against a bearing and on the door.

8. A heater as set forth in claim 6, including a compression spring onthe shaft bearingvagainst the housing for preventing vibration of theshaft with respect thereto.

9. A heater as set forth in claim 6, in-

cluding means for limiting movement of theV cam-carrier beyond a doorclosing and a fullopen position.

l0. A heater of the character described comprising a floor plate havingcirculation openings and a marginal supporting iiange shaped on itsunderside to provide a. locating recess, a heater-supporting housingdisposed beneath the floor plate and having a top flange seated in saidlocating recess and adapted to overlie an edge of a floor board or thelike for supporting` the heater, and fastening means passing' throughthe floor plate iiange for clamping said 'floor plate and the interposedhousing flange to said floor board.

JOHN A. SALL.

havinv' an inlet f tif)

